


Naming

by gijane7702



Series: Happily Ever After [2]
Category: Star Trek: Voyager
Genre: Babyfic, F/M, Fluffyfest, Married Life, Pregnancy, Retrospective
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-16
Updated: 2020-05-16
Packaged: 2021-03-02 18:40:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,158
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24211480
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gijane7702/pseuds/gijane7702
Summary: Chakotay ponders their firstborn's name ...
Relationships: Chakotay/Kathryn Janeway
Series: Happily Ever After [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1800247
Comments: 28
Kudos: 69





	Naming

**Author's Note:**

> Quadrantje innocently commented (nicely!) on the children's names in "Braiding" ... which got me thinking as to why we all seem to name their first boy Kolopak no matter how cliche it is ... this is my take on why I do ...
> 
> Thanks to coffeeblack75 for the beta ... you're the best !!

For two people who kept telling each other they had “plenty of time”, they were running out of it quickly.

Kathryn was forty-one weeks pregnant – six days over her due date. She was tired of being pregnant but didn’t want to be induced since they still hadn’t decided on a name for their son. Well … they had decided on two names: Kolopak and Edward. Their fathers’ names. Since both men were gone, they wanted to honor them by naming their firstborn son after them. The only issue was they couldn’t decide the order of names. 

Kathryn wanted Kolopak Edward since the baby would carry her surname. She thought it was a wonderful way for their boy to begin to learn his Native American heritage. She understood the special relationship of passing a name down from father to son. Since her husband didn’t carry a surname, she wanted him to pass down his father’s given name. 

Chakotay wanted the opposite, Edward Kolopak. And he wasn’t sure why he was so dead-set against naming his firstborn son after his father. He was thankful that his wife was so loving that she wanted him to pass down his father’s name. But even he didn’t quite understand his trepidation, since he and his father had made their peace, even if it was in the Spirit World.

Sekaya, in her role as the tribe’s spiritual leader, finally suggested that they both undergo a vision quest to talk with their spirit animals. She had already consulted with The Doctor and he had cleared Kathryn medically. So there they were, outside their home, Chakotay on the grass, Kathryn on the patio couch behind him, with their retrospective medicine bundles. This would be the first time they had gone on a vision quest together. Kathryn had had a million questions for Sekaya regarding it, which had pleased her sister-in-law greatly. Since Kathryn knew vision quests were usually personal and private, she was looking forward to a joint one. 

Reaching over his shoulder, he held onto his wife’s free hand as he guided them into the Spirit World. When he opened his eyes he was on a cliff overlooking an ocean. This wasn’t his Special Place, so it had to be Kathryn’s. Sure enough, a small lizard on a log shuffled around to get his attention. Chakotay grinned at his wife’s animal guide. Lizard was perfect for Kathryn, a warrior who survived but remembered also to go with the flow of life. 

Before he could speak to Lizard, there was a rustling in the grass then Kathryn appeared, waddling slowly up the slight hill. Beside her, guiding her gently, was his guide, Wolf. Chakotay ran down to them, offering his wife his arm. Wolf nodded her approval. When they finally made it to the clifftop, Kathryn sat down next to Lizard, greeting him. Wolf greeted Chakotay properly by nuzzling his leg with her muzzle, then plodded over and curled up at Kathryn’s feet. Lizard smiled at her, then scrambled down his log, across the sand, then up Chaoktay’s leg and arm, settling perched on his shoulder.

Chakotay felt a wave of peace wash over him as he stood watching his very pregnant wife bend slightly to pet Wolf, who was panting contentedly with her tongue lolled out. Chakotay walked over and sat down next to Kathryn. Both guides perked up at the sound of the grass rustling for a second time. Wolf huffed approvingly, then shifted, resting her head on his foot. She and Lizard still watched intently at whatever was making its way up the path to the clifftop. 

Kathryn gasped in surprise as bear cub appeared and made her way over to them. She plopped down on her haunches in front of them all. Chakotay’s eyes were huge as he looked down at Wolf. She nodded in affirmation to him as Bear Cub nudged Wolf’s muzzle in greeting. Lizard scampered down Chakotay’s arm and hopped onto Bear Cub’s muzzle to greet her as well. Kathryn grabbed Chakotay’s hand when she realized whose guide Bear Cub was. He squeezed back reassuringly. Neither was prepared for Bear Cub speaking. 

“Chakotay, why are you of two minds over your son’s naming? Kathryn seeks to honor our ways. Why do you not?” She looked at him expectantly. 

Chakotay’s hand slipped from Kathryn’s. He placed his palm over the spot of the lump that was their son’s foot or hand popping up from the rest of her baby bump. Kathryn placed her hand gently over his. It was her turn to squeeze his hand reassuringly while the baby kicked merrily at his hand. When he remained quiet, Wolf nudged his foot and said, “Answer her, Chakotay.” 

“I don’t know,” he finally said after a few moments.

“Yes, you do,” Bear Cub replied calmly. “Kathryn will understand … just say it.” 

Kathryn knew better than to look at him. Chakotay squeezed her hand and after a few more moments finally said, “I just keep remembering the contentious relationship that I had with my father while he was alive …”

When Chakotay trailed off, Kathryn finished with, “And you’re worried that if he’s named after your father, your relationship with your son will be the same way.” 

“Yes,” he told her quietly. 

“That’s every parents’ worry, not just your own,” Kathryn said quietly. “You just have to keep working at your relationship with him. Your father did … even if you were contrary the entire time. He knew it was best for you to let you go … and he did. He loved you that much. I know you love your son. We can’t predict the future, but a wise man once told me not to sacrifice the present for a future that may never happen.”

Chakotay grinned dimple-deep at her and she reciprocated his smile. He kissed her lips gently, then they both turned their heads towards Bear Cub. “Name your son, Chakotay,” she said to him.

He leaned down and placed a kiss on the lump that was his son’s foot. Kathryn gently wove her hands through his hair as he whispered to the lump, “Your name is Kolopak.” He kissed the lump again, then said, “Kolopak Edward Janeway.” 

He raised his head as the vision quest rippled. “What’s going on?” he asked the spirit guides, looking around. Before they could answer, Kathryn disappeared. He yelled her name several times. Hearing her echoey answer, he asked the spirit guides again, “What is happening?” 

“Kathryn is back in the Living World, Chakotay,” Bear Cub told him. “It is time for your son to be born.”

Chakotay’s eyes widened. He nodded his respect to the guides, then willed himself out of the vision quest. Kathryn was sitting quietly on the patio couch waiting for him. Their eyes locked, then they grinned at one another. “Ready to have a baby?” she asked him lightly, wincing slightly at a contraction. 

“Absolutely,” Chakotay replied. “I’ll go get your bag.”


End file.
